Speakers pay tributes to revolutionary poet Habib Jalib

PESHAWAR: Revolutionary verses of the poets like late Habib Jalib are fit for warming the blood in the current situation wherein exploitative system has almost paralysed the society and the poor are crying for justice, stated speakers at a book launching ceremony here on Sunday.
The nation and country are still passing through exploitative policies of the ruling clique against whom Jalib raised voice either during martial laws or so-called democratic rules, they said while addressing the launching ceremony of book, “Jalib Jalib”, authored by senior journalist Mujahid Barelvi.
A former provincial minister and central general secretary of the Awami National Party (ANP) Mian Iftikhar Hussain said Habib Jalib was not only a great poet, but also an intellectual, journalist and politician, who was put behind bars for speaking and writing the truth.
“We used to recite his poetry during our student life and most of the people would attend the then National Awami Party rallies for listening to his revolutionary verses. Earning a name for a financially poor person like Jalib is an achievement as rich can get popularity easily through the power of wealth. Jalib’s popularity can be judged from the fact that there would be hardly any literary or political gathering where his verses are not recited,” he stated.
The ANP leader said the best way to pay tributes to Jalib was to follow his verses and stand up to tyranny and injustices.
Referring to the ongoing militancy and terrorism in the country, he said the sacrifices of Army Public School and College students and teachers united the nation and political and military leadership. Now it was the time to implement the National Action Plan and get the nation rid of terrorism once and for all, he added.
He called for reviewing the foreign policy and removing trust deficit between Pakistan and Afghanistan. “Though relations between the two neighbouring states have improved to a greater extent, the nation is waiting for a visible change in the situation as peace can’t be restored in the region if there is unrest on any side of the border,” he added.
Mujahid Barelvi shed light on the book and different aspects of Jalib’s life and struggle against oppression in the society.
He recited verses from the poetic collection Jalib had contributed during various rules in the past, right from Field Marshal Ayub Khan to General Yahya Khan, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and General Ziaul Haq.
Some of his poems like “Aise dastoor ko, subh-e-benor ko, main nahi manta, main nahi janta”; “Mohabat golion se bo rahe ho, watan ka chehra khun se dho rahe ho” were read out on the occasion.
The author also recalled his long association with Jalib that spanned two decades. The 171-page collection consists of Jalib’s poetry, letters, stories of his imprisonment and bold politics. It was launching of the 4th edition of the book.
A former provincial minister Kashif Azam Chishti, journalists Amjad Aziz Malik, Fakhar Kakakhel, Mian Farooq Firaq and ANP leader Malik Mustafa also addressed the ceremony.
They lauded the contribution of both the revolutionary poet Habib Jalib and Mujahid Barelvi. They said Barelvi visited Afghanistan in the 70s and had been reporting on Afghanistan since then. The speakers recited some verses from Jalib’s poetry in their speeches.